During the week an X (formerly Twitter) user accused political actors in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of compelling voters to hand in their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in exchange for palliative items. The user posted a video claiming this amounts to voter inducement ahead of the November 11, governorship poll in Imo State.
The X user condemned the alleged vote buying in the guise of palliatives distribution and called on residents to be part of an ‘emancipation to redeem the Imo state’. Is this video an accurate depiction of what transpired in the cause of the sharing of palliatives in the state; CDD War Room analyzed the video to verfify its authenticity
Claim: Video shows collection of PVCs in exchange for palliatives in Owerri West
Verification
Upon careful observation, it was noted that the video contained the photo of the incumbent governor and his running mate on a banner, dispelling assumptions that it is an old video, which is being re-circulated. CDD War Room’s analysis revealed that the name on the voter’s card in one of the videos was registered to a person named Felix Chinedu Afam. The location was identified as Oforola in Umuguma, Owerri State.
To further verify this information, a “soldier of mouth” (CDD’s countering disinformation agent in local communities across the off-cycle elections states) was consulted. This source confirmed the incident. According to the soldier of mouth, the incident occurred during the distribution of palliatives. Residents were required to present their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to receive the palliative items.
It’s worth noting that both Umuguma and Oforola are towns located in Owerri West, with Umuguma serving as the local government headquarters.
The palliatives provided by the Federal government to the state government were part of a broader effort to support vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens in the light of the crisis precipitated by fuel subsidy removal and the wider economic fallouts of the COVID pandemic. This type of aid typically includes food items, essential supplies, or financial assistance, aimed at addressing the poverty in the land.
In the case of the described incident, these palliatives were distributed at the local level, which is often done to ensure that the assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries effectively.
However, it appears that the distribution process in the state was subject to a condition: presenting a Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in exchange for the palliatives.
Verdict: TRUE
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